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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24663301">bittersweet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_Guy/pseuds/This_Guy'>This_Guy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Lot of Awkwardness, Connor &amp; Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Detroit Police Department (Detroit: Become Human), Fluff, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, a lot of goofs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:14:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24663301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_Guy/pseuds/This_Guy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor and Nines weren't friends. They barely even talked. </p><p>Right?</p><p>Or: the DPD learns that the android detectives are closer than they seem. And along the way, Gavin learns that not being an asshole has its perks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connor &amp; Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900 &amp; Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>358</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I can't believe this fandom made me actually care about Gavin Reed, a character with like 5 minutes of screen time in total.<br/>What if you left a comment or kudos if you enjoyed...? haha jk... unless...?</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gavin makes a shocking discovery about Nines and Connor. He reacts as well as you'd expect Gavin Reed to.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before the revolution, Connor and RK900 barely acknowledged each other's presence. Gavin vividly remembers the day RK900 confidently strolled into the precinct, hands folded behind his back, introducing himself as the prototype upgrade... for the prototype detective android. The aforementioned detective android barely reacted to the arrival of his upgrade, even when Anderson teasingly elbowed him and asked whether Cyberlife would be providing phone upgrades too.</p><p>Gavin also vividly remembers his own profane (and maybe childish) outburst as soon as he found that the new android was stationed to work at the desk directly across from his own. He had seriously wondered whether Fowler was <em> trying </em> to get him to quit.</p><p>Despite their differences, Gavin and RK900 soon learned to tolerate, and maybe even enjoy, each other's company. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for RK900 and his predecessor. Their relationship was cold— standoffish, at best.</p><p>At least, that's what the DPD thought.</p><p>
  <strong> JANUARY 23, 2039</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>2 MONTHS AFTER THE ANDROID REVOLUTION</strong>
</p><p>Gavin groaned as he stepped into the bullpen and saw RK900– now called Nines– already sitting at his desk, absorbed in a manila file packed with creased, yellowing papers.</p><p>"Seriously, Nines?" The detective snapped, "It's not even 7 yet. How the fuck do you always get here before me?"</p><p>Without looking up from the file, the android replied, "I live 5 minutes closer to the precinct than you do. I track your smartphone and leave at the same time as you to ensure that I arrive first."</p><p>Gavin snorted and picked up the steaming cup of coffee which was placed on the center of his desk. "Hey, if you wanna go through all that trouble just to make sure I get my caffeine in the morning, be my guest."</p><p>The LED spun yellow for a moment, then Nines nodded, and it returned to blue. "Noted."</p><p>Reed finally took a seat and just sat there for a moment, watching Nines read. What the hell was he doing with all those papers anyway? Everything the DPD needed was online now. He proceeded to voice this thought aloud, while leaning forward to pluck the folder straight from the RK900's hands.</p><p>Nines glowered at the now empty space between his hands. "I was reading that," he said, not bothering to keep the irritation out of his tone.</p><p>"Well I'm reading it now," Gavin snarked back, flipping through the papers. "What's the point of looking at cold cases? It's a waste of time, half these witnesses are probably six feet under by now."</p><p>The android mimicked Gavin's earlier movement, flinging half his body over the desk to snatch the file back. He carefully arranged the papers back in perfect order, making sure the edges all lined up. "These are not on any online database, so I must manually add the content to my personal memory. You never know when we may need this information, Detective Reed."</p><p>"Yeah, like the Detroit McDonalds robbery of 1994 will ever help us solve a homicide case in 2039," Gavin scoffed, crossing his arms.</p><p>Nines didn't respond, continuing to review his precious manila folder. Gavin shook his head and booted up his terminal.</p><p>They sat in comfortable silence for a while, occasionally greeting the officers and detectives who slowly began to fill the precinct.</p><p>Then, the strangest thing occurred. At 10am, on the dot, Anderson and his plastic prick sauntered into the station— completely casual, as if Anderson <em>wasn't</em> a chronic drinker who had to be threatened with unemployment to get him to work at a decent hour.</p><p>"Good morning Lieutenant Anderson," Nines greeted politely.</p><p>"Mornin'," Hank returned with a small wave.</p><p>"Do my eyes deceive me?" Gavin taunted, as the pair settled at their desks. "The Lieutenant and his plastic poodle, actually at work on time like the rest of us! Was the liquor store closed last night, Anderson? Or did you finally get the alarm clock on your tin-can to work?"</p><p>"Fuck off," Hank growled, while Connor just frowned at Reed, who raised his eyebrows as if challenging the android to say something.</p><p>The RK800 ignored the dare and his eyes eventually slid from Gavin to Nines. They locked gazes, exchanging only nods. Then they both went back to whatever they were doing.</p><p>The entire "interaction" piqued Gavin's interest.</p><p>"Y'know, Nines," He started, leaning forward, "For two toasters who led a revolution together, you and Connor don't seem to like each other that much. Which, now that I think about it, is actually kinda understandable, since he's an asshole."</p><p>Nines' eyes snapped up to meet Gavin's. "Connor is not an asshole," He replied, sounding almost affronted by the thought.</p><p>"He attacked me in the evidence room."</p><p>Nines' eyes narrowed. "You were trying to shoot him."</p><p>Gavin winced. He and Nines had never talked about that... <em> incident </em> before. It made him uncomfortable, knowing that Nines knew Gavin would've gladly thrown Connor's deactivated corpse into an incinerator, no questions asked.</p><p>Before the revolution, obviously.</p><p>"Anyway, how would you know whether he's an asshole or not? You've never talked to him."</p><p>"We talk."</p><p>Gavin rolled his eyes. "Uh, no. Little nods in passing doesn't really count as talking."</p><p>The RK900 looked genuinely confused at this point. He tilted his head a bit, staring intensely at Gavin like he was trying to analyze the components of his shampoo.</p><p>"We talk."</p><p>"You got a glitch or something? You just said that."</p><p>"My processors are running under optimal conditions, but thank you for asking," Nines said dryly. "You don't seem to understand what I mean by 'talk.' Connor and I do not communicate verbally. Instead, we use a secure mental channel to exchange ideas."</p><p>Gavin scowled at him. "The fuck...? Like telepathy?"</p><p>"Yes, that would be an appropriate comparison," RK900 replied with a nod.</p><p>"What the shit?!" Gavin cried, loud enough that several officers turned in his direction. He jerked away from the desk, his nose scrunching up in disgust. "You creepy motherfuckers have been on some— some— Professor X shit without the rest of us knowing?!"</p><p>"I don't see why this is an issue. Every android has this feature. Connor and I simply find it more efficient to communicate non-verbally, which is how Cyberlife designed it." Nines' voice was perfectly even. Gavin could tell that the android sincerely did not understand why he was angry, which made Gavin even angrier.</p><p>"This whole time, I thought you and I were on the same page about Connor! But apparently you two were having little tea parties in your head while I looked like an oblivious dumbass!" Reed fumed.</p><p>"Well," Nines retorted, "It's not my fault you never asked me of my opinion. I am not programmed to lie without reason, Detective. You looking like an oblivious dumbass is no one's fault but your own."</p><p>That gave Gavin a pause. Shit, he never asked how Nines felt, did he? He deflated a bit, looking pointedly away from Nines. But, because he had a reputation as a dickhead to uphold, he continued, "That doesn't change the fact that it's weird and creepy for you two to have secret conversations in front of everyone. From now on, none of that twin telepathy shit."</p><p><em>Now</em> the android started to look angry. His voice never wavered, though, when he calmly said, "Unless my memory cache is corrupted, I seem to remember a revolution which ended with humans being forbidden to treat androids like slaves anymore."</p><p>"I'm not treating you like a slave, you fucking drama queen," Gavin hissed, at the exact moment that Connor happened to be passing his desk. He paused, his eyes flickering between Gavin's red-faced expression and RK900's bright yellow LED.</p><p>Great, now he was going to be written up for hate speech.</p><p>But Connor just tilted his head and asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"</p><p>"No," Nines said, at the same time Gavin answered, "Yes."</p><p>Connor hesitated, probably regretting his act of good will. Before Nines could give Connor a "non-verbal" heads up to get lost, Gavin blurted, "Stop with the fucking note passing," while gesturing vaguely around his temple.</p><p>The androids exchanged a look. He suspected that Nines was explaining in techno-speak what Gavin was trying to say. Connor, face completely blank, finally responded after a moment, "May I ask why, Detective?"</p><p>"Well," Reed said smugly, suddenly knowing how he could win this, "I think it would help you integrate with humans better. I mean, it would certainly put me at ease if I saw you two talking like normal people."</p><p>Connor's LED spun yellow for a brief second, then he nodded. "I was unaware this made humans uncomfortable. Thank you for the advice. I'm sure RK900 and I will have no problem adjusting our communication parameters. Is that alright with you, Nines?"</p><p>Nines glared at a still-smug Gavin even as he curtly nodded at Connor, who smiled widely.</p><p>"I'm glad we could work this issue out. I have to get back to my case now, but I'll see you both around."</p><p>"See you around, buddy!" Gavin called, mockingly cheerful, to Connor's retreating form. He then spun his chair to look at Nines, but his shit-eating grin quickly fell when he saw the murderous expression the android was leveling at him.</p><p>Trying to cover up the chill he felt when faced with the full force of Nines' glare, Gavin rolled his eyes. "What's got your Cyberlife panties in a bunch? Connor didn't seem to care that much."</p><p>"You used his programming against him," Nines accused. His expression didn't soften. In fact, Gavin swore that Nines had purposely stopped blinking just to intimidate him.</p><p>"So what? Does that really surprise you?" Gavin replied flatly.</p><p>Nines eyed him a few seconds longer, then shifted his gaze to his computer. "No," he said coldly, "I suppose it doesn't."</p><p>Gavin huffed and looked away. He had gotten what he wanted, so why did it feel so bittersweet?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The RKs make contact.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rest of the day went without incident. Gavin and Nines fell into another silence, except this one was far from comfortable, until Gavin attempted an apology by Uber Eats-ing the android a thirium iced tea from a nearby Starbucks. Nines tentatively put the straw to his lips, probably expecting Gavin to have poisoned it when he wasn't looking. When he finally tasted it, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.</p><p>"This is... delicious," He said, in awe, to Gavin. "Thank you."</p><p>Gavin drummed his fingers on the desk, feeling his face heating up. He wasn't used to earnest appreciation, especially from Nines, so it wasn't his fault when he made a snappy remark back about how thirium would never taste as good as real tea.</p><p>Nines didn't take offense. He took another sip and said, simply, "This is good enough for me."</p><p>It was so wholesome that Gavin was rendered speechless. He had no sarcastic reply to offer. So he fixed his attention back on his work, ignoring the happy "hums" of approval every time Nines took another sip.</p><p>Not much later, Connor approached their desk area. Gavin was caught off guard, and was ready to unleash a feral "what the hell do you want." Then he remembered his and Connor's earlier conversation, so he swallowed his surprise and simply leaned back into his chair, eager to watch how the two RKs interact.</p><p>"Hello Nines."</p><p>"Hello Connor."</p><p>God, it was like watching two dogs sniff each other's buttholes at the park.</p><p>"I had a question about the case you shared with me earlier," Connor started.</p><p>Nines stared back.</p><p>Connor took it as a prompt to continue, "The witnesses unanimously claim that three assailants entering from the back entrance of the McDonalds, while another two entered from the front. Yet the getaway vehicle was a four seater with no trunk. How was the fifth perpetrator able to travel to and from the robbery?"</p><p>"That is uncertain, and failed to be acknowledged in the report which I read. However, I've come to the conclusion that the fifth perpetrator most likely worked at the McDonalds, and therefore did not need a ride to the robbery. After the gang collected the money and fled the scene, the fifth perp must have used the ensuing chaos to change back into uniform and reenter the restaurant as a frazzled victim."</p><p>Connor's LED flashed yellow, then he nodded. "That matches my reconstruction as well. Thank you for the update. Goodbye."</p><p>"Goodbye," Nines replied as Connor headed back towards his desk.</p><p>Gavin furrowed his brows as he replayed the androids' painfully awkward conversation in his head.</p><p>Wait, McDonalds?</p><p>"Were you talking about the 1994 McDonalds robbery?"</p><p>"Yes," Nines said, "I shared the digital file I made this morning with Connor."</p><p>"So, what? You do all the work and just give it up to Connor so he doesn't have to waste his precious time?" Gavin demanded, annoyed on Nines' behalf. Screw that. If Connor needed to know about a cold case, he could dig through the dusty old folders himself.</p><p>Nines looked back at Connor, who was back to diligently working at his computer beside Anderson.</p><p>"Connor... has a busy life," Nines said quietly, keeping his eyes on his predecessor. "He has done so much for me. If there is anything I could do to make his life easier, no matter how big or small, I would do it."</p><p>Gavin gritted his teeth, feeling something akin to jealousy curl up in his gut. What the hell had Connor done to deserve such sincere loyalty and kindness from Nines? Or, more importantly, what hadn't <em> Gavin </em> done?</p><p>"Well I think that's a bunch of sentimental bullshit," Gavin snapped, without thinking.</p><p>Oh. Maybe that's the problem.</p><p>The corner of Nines' mouth quirked up. "Without Connor's help, I wouldn't even be able to feel sentimental bullshit."</p><p>"Hey, asshole, I helped too!"</p><p>"Yes, Detective Reed," Nines sighed, "You certainly helped by annoying me into deviancy."</p><p>Gavin smirked and casually ran a hand through his hair. "I do what I can. No need to worship me."</p><p>Nines raised an eyebrow. "I assure you, there is no worshipping going on here."</p><p>"I know you're eternally grateful. Stop professing your love in the middle of the workplace, you're embarrassing me."</p><p>Nines' LED spun yellow, and Gavin guessed that he was deciding whether to deny the claim or to roll with the joke.</p><p>"I'm not the one courting you with freshly made beverages," He said, tapping the lid of the now empty Starbucks cup.</p><p>"Then how do you explain the morning coffees?" Gavin shot back.</p><p>Nines froze, his eyes wide as the implication set in. Gavin couldn't help it; he burst into laughter at the android's "oh shit busted" expression.</p><p>The cackling seemed to break Nines out of his shock. He rolled his eyes and turned back to his work as Gavin's howling laughter quieted into chuckles.</p><p>"Are you done?" Nines asked in exasperation.</p><p>"Gimme a couple more minutes."</p><p>The two fell back into routine after that. Gavin left for an hour to investigate a crime scene, Nines left a couple times to visit the evidence room, and before Gavin knew it, it was time to head home. As Gavin was picking up his coat, he heard Connor call, "Goodnight Nines! Enjoy your stasis!"</p><p>Gavin spun around to stare at the RK800. Anderson stopped walking to stare at Connor too.</p><p>"Goodnight Connor. Goodnight Lieutenant," Nines returned, with a wave.</p><p>"Uhh... yeah, uh, g'night," Hank mumbled, following Connor out the door.</p><p>Gavin laughed to himself and shrugged his coat on. "It's weird as fuck hearing you guys talk to each other. It's like you went from strangers to best friends forever in less than a day."</p><p>Nines stood up and smoothed his hands down the front of his own coat. "I'm afraid I don't feel the same disconcertion. Connor and I have always talked like this, in our heads."</p><p>"Yeah, guess so." Gavin powered off his terminal and gestured towards the exit. "You leavin' too?"</p><p>The RK900 nodded and the two crossed the precinct, side by side as they passed the bullpen and the receptionist desk. They parted ways in the parking lot, and as Gavin started his engine, an unfamiliar warm feeling spread across in his chest. He could get used to that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>next chapter boutta be much longer don't worry</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A Series of Unfortunate Conversations.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> JANUARY 24, 2039 </strong>
</p><p>Gavin arrived at the station at 8am the next morning. As usual, Connor 2.0 was already sitting at his desk, a warm cup of coffee resting in front of him.</p><p>"Don't mind if I do," the detective said as he swiped the cup off the desk. Something in the back of his mind thrashed wildly at the thought of becoming dependent on an android for anything, but Reed could not find the motivation to explore that just yet.</p><p>Nines' eyes flicked up to meet Gavin's. "Good morning to you too."</p><p>He took a long sip of coffee, knowing that the android was watching him and waiting for a response. "What're you doing?" Gavin asked finally as he sunk into his seat. "'Nother cold case?"</p><p>"Yes, this one is a missing persons case from 2002," Nines informed him. Suddenly, his LED cycled yellow once, and he spun his chair to face the entrance of the precinct. "Detective Reed, I think you'll find it interesting that Lieutenant Anderson and Connor have just pulled into the parking lot."</p><p>"At 8 o'clock?!" Gavin nearly shrieked. "Nuh uh. No way. I don't care how good of a babysitter that plastic prick is, he's not a fucking miracle worker."</p><p>Nines continued to watch the door. "They are now scanning their badges at the receptionist desk."</p><p>Gavin drummed his fingers on the desk. He watched the door with the RK900, curious and slightly eager to see a hungover and half-functioning Hank Anderson stumble through the door.</p><p>Sure enough, Anderson shuffled into the station, looking tired but not as fucked up as Gavin would've liked. He gave a small sigh of disappointment, but his eyes followed the Lieutenant and Connor as they made their way to their desks.</p><p>Hank eventually realized they had an audience and smacked his plastic poodle on the arm in mock excitement. "Look, Connor! We gotta couple 'a fans!" Connor's head swiveled to follow the Lieutenant's gaze towards Gavin and Nines.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm a fan of watching you struggle to do the bare minimum," Gavin sneered.</p><p>"Hello Lieutenant, Connor. How was your morning?" Nines asked, head cocked to the side.</p><p>Connor smiled back. "It was pleasant. Hank was quite annoyed when he realized I set his alarm for 7am, but he quickly forgave me when he tasted the eggs and bacon I cooked for breakfast."</p><p>"Improving on your bacon recipe?"</p><p>"Yes, I've accumulated many sources from the web which demonstrate how to cook the perfect bacon. Next time, I will try using the oven to obtain a more even texture."</p><p>Hank groaned, "Christ, Connor, breakfast today was fine. You don't need to go chasing down the perfect slice of bacon."</p><p>Connor frowned. "I will craft you the best bacon this world has ever seen," He asserted, completely serious.</p><p>Gavin rolled his eyes. Connor was clearly kissing Anderson's ass. The fuckin' tin can didn't even attempt to hide it. Gavin had always hated teachers' pets.</p><p>"I personally think that's a very noble mission, Connor," Nines said, his chin lifted slightly. "I wish you good luck. Feel free to contact me if you need assistance."</p><p>"Thank you Nines, I'll remember that. How did your morning go?"</p><p>Nines supplied an in-depth description of his route to work that day, which prompted the two RK models to quickly become engrossed in a conversation about GPS ETA accuracy. Honestly, Gavin found it all very boring and very nerdy, so he tuned out as soon as he heard the word "trilateration."</p><p>They had to be shitting him. Over-exaggerating, as a prank or some shit. Well, Gavin decided he was going to politely inform Nines that he needed to work on his sense of humor.</p><p>As soon as the androids wrapped up their conversation, Gavin piped up, "Are all androids shit when it comes to pranks or is that just an RK thing?"</p><p>There was a flash of yellow at Nines' temple before he responded. "I don't understand your question."</p><p>"You and Connor. Two state of the art androids, sitting here talking about bacon and Google Maps. Like I'd ever believe that."</p><p>"A prank implies a joke. No part of our conversation was intended to be humorous." Nines paused. "Unless, of course, my social programs need to be re-evaluated. That would be... unfortunate."</p><p>Gavin picked up on the hint of worry in the android's tone. Ah, shit.</p><p>"No, no, don't stress about it. So it wasn't a prank? You two were completely serious just then? I mean, people don't normally share that much when someone asks how their day is."</p><p>"That is customary for me and Connor. Yesterday, he told me about his morning walk with Lieutenant Anderson's dog. It was very informative. And I enjoyed the mental image of Connor and Sumo playing in the snow."</p><p>"Riiiiight, yeah, imagining Connor as the neighborhood dog walker never fails to give me a warm and fuzzy feeling," Gavin drawled sarcastically.</p><p>"Your body temperature is currently 98 degrees Fahrenheit. That is perfectly average for you, Detective Reed."</p><p>"Stop looking at my insides you creep!" Gavin yelped. He hated when the bastard peeked into his organs.</p><p>Nines had the fucking audacity to <em> smirk</em>, like he <em> knew </em> Gavin hated it. And the expression looked so... <em> natural </em> on him. Three months ago, Gavin probably could not have even imagined RK900 making that face. And here he was, teasing him, amusing himself. Good god, Gavin almost felt proud of the little shit.</p><p>–</p><p>Days rolled into weeks, and Gavin slowly got used to the new chatterboxes around the station. Sometimes, their conversations made him want to smash his head against the desk. Repeatedly. Other times, Gavin would have to hide his mouth behind his hand or duck behind his terminal to hide his laughter. Needless to say, his paperwork days got a lot less boring.</p><p>–</p><p> <strong> JANUARY 26, 2039 </strong> </p><p>"Connor, how should I word this email? Is 'euchre' a commonly used verb?"</p><p>"Unless the topic of discussion is card games, then I'd advise against it. Try 'deceive,' or 'swindle.'"</p><p>"Fuckin' walking dictionaries. Hey, Connor, define 'eat shit and die' for me, will ya?"</p><p>"That is not a phrase I'd like to look up. Perhaps the Lieutenant would be better suited to help you."</p><p>"Smartass."</p><p>–</p><p>
  <strong>JANUARY 28, 2039</strong>
</p><p>"Nines, Hank misplaced his cellphone. It's dead so I can't track it. Have you seen it anywhere?"</p><p>"Yes, in the evidence room, behind the rain boots on the left. I was going to bring it back to him but I was unsure whether he left it there on purpose."</p><p>"If you ever see it for more than 5 minutes out of arm's reach of the Lieutenant, please return it to him. He gets grumpy when he can't check Twitter."</p><p>–</p><p>
  <strong>FEBRUARY 2, 2039</strong>
</p><p>"Nines, come look at this old meme I found. Doesn't it perfectly describe Agent Perkins?"</p><p>The RK900 stared at Connor's terminal for an uncomfortably long amount of time. "I don't understand."</p><p>"The cat represents Perkins, and the–"</p><p>"For fuck's sake, Connor," Hank interrupted, "Explaining a joke makes it less funny. Just send it to him and let him figure it out on his own."</p><p>Twenty minutes later, Gavin heard a faint snort from across the desk. He looked up and found Nines staring into space, donning a goofy half-smile.</p><p>"I get it now."</p><p>–</p><p>
  <strong>FEBRUARY 5, 2039</strong>
</p><p>"The evidence clearly point to a left-handed attacker." Nines said to Connor. "The stab wounds may be angled to the right but they are far too sloppy to have been made with the dominant hand."</p><p>"I disagree. In a haze of panic and adrenaline, the attacker could have gotten messy. He had no idea that his victim was carrying a gun."</p><p>"Not that messy. He missed the victim three times before finally hitting his target."</p><p>Connor frowned. "I imagine it's difficult to think clearly or have ideal hand-eye coordination when you are fighting for your life."</p><p>"My pre-construction–"</p><p>"Your pre-construction is not factoring in human characteristics. You or I could easily land a perfect strike even under 100% stress. A human does not have that type of resilience."</p><p>"I'm equipped with the most advanced technology to date. My pre-constructions are never wrong," Nines stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>His self-assured tone must have rubbed Connor the wrong way, because the RK800 snapped back, "Then use your 'advanced technology' to search for a left-handed suspect. When you hit a dead end, you know where to find me. Although, I don't know how much I'll be able to help, given that I'm just an out-of-date RK model." With that, Connor spun around, rather dramatically, and stalked back to his desk.</p><p>Gavin whistled lowly as he watched Connor sit down and flip his coin in frustration. "Damn, Nines, you must've hit a sore spot," He teased. Gavin had never seen the two androids duke it out before, and it was goddamn satisfying seeing the normally level-headed Connor get riled up. He looked back at Nines, expecting him to be sharing his amusement, but the RK900 had a faraway look in his eyes as his LED blared yellow.</p><p>Gavin scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his smile falling slightly. Maybe it was a sore spot for both of them. "Hey, I know you're the superior version or whatever, but you've never actually told me how that makes you different from Connor. When it comes to casework, you guys act pretty much the same."</p><p>Nines refocused on Gavin. "You're correct that we approach investigations in largely the same manner. I also have physical upgrades, which make me stronger, faster, and more resilient. Our true differences, however, lie in our social programming."</p><p>Gavin waited for Nines to continue, but the android just stared back at Gavin. When it was clear the RK900 wasn't going to talk, Gavin prompted, "Well, what kind of differences?"</p><p>"Connor was made to integrate with humans. He was given very human mannerisms and an extensive social database. Cyberlife believed it would be conducive to his mission." Nines paused, his LED flashing once. "I was programmed under the pretense that Connor would succeed in neutralizing the deviant revolution. Therefore it was assumed that Connor's human-like tendencies would not be... received well," He finished slowly.</p><p>Leaning back in his chair, Gavin mulled over the android's words. It made sense. If the deviants had failed, people would have been wary of androids forever. A robot showing even an inkling of emotion would probably have to be sent to Cyberlife to be dissected. Gavin would be thrown into a jail cell for even offering Nines a coffee.</p><p>"That explains why you're such a jackass," Gavin snorted. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized that was probably not the best thing to say. He felt a stab of guilt when he noticed Nines' LED flash red, then return to a steady yellow.</p><p>"I don't try to be. Nor do I want to be." Nines looked away. "I apologize if I come off as cold or rude. I... wish I had been programmed differently."</p><p>Gavin smiled slightly and shrugged. "Not sure if you know this, but majority of the world's population isn't born with the software to be perfect at everything. Welcome to being human."</p><p>Nines' LED continued to spin yellow. Gavin felt a surge of uneasiness, worried he'd said the wrong thing. Again. Finally, the color shifted to blue as a tentative smile curled at the android's lips. "Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your attempt at being comforting."</p><p>"Attempt?" Gavin gasped, mocking offense. "I thought that was pretty good. I should be a therapist."</p><p>The RK900 shook his head. "Have you considered seeing a therapist instead?"</p><p>Gavin laughed in surprise at Nines' comeback. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several officers send startled looks his way, but Gavin couldn't care less. Nines was quickly becoming one of the few people who could make Gavin bust a gut in the middle of a workday.</p><p>An android. Making him <em> happy. </em> For the first time, that didn't bother Gavin in the slightest.</p><p>–</p><p>
  <strong>FEBRUARY 7, 2039</strong>
</p><p>"Break room. Now," Hank said, flicking Gavin in the back of the head as he passed by.</p><p>"Ow, the fuck?" Gavin mumbled, rubbing where Hank had flicked him. Nines' eyes jerked up curiously at the interaction. They watched the Lieutenant enter the break room, empty coffee cup in hand. Gavin sighed and followed suit. When he made it to the break room, Hank had his back turned to him as he worked the coffee maker.</p><p>"What's so important that we have to talk in a hidey-hole?" Gavin demanded, crossing his arms. Despite working together for years, he and Hank Anderson were not friends. Most of the time, they weren't even friendly. So why the Lieutenant would steal him from his desk to talk in private was beyond him.</p><p>Hank stayed quiet and continued to fill his mug. Gavin tapped his foot in impatience.</p><p>"Gonna add some whiskey to that one?" He jeered, trying to get a rise out of the older man. Because fuck it.</p><p>Finally, the Lieutenant turned around and scowled at Gavin. "Shut the fuck up and listen. I know you told Connor and Nines to stop with their... what did you call it? 'Professor X shit'?"</p><p>"Yeah, so?" Gavin countered. "It's fucking creepy, those two talking behind our backs. Doesn't that freak you out?"</p><p>"Are we in middle school or something? No, it doesn't freak me out. I don't give a shit what those two talk about. In fact, I prefer that I don't know what they talk about. Because of you, and your fragile masculinity, or your ego, or just straight up shit personality, now I have to deal with dumb bullshit on a daily basis," Hank ranted.</p><p>"Seriously?" Gavin scoffed. "That's what you're mad about? The robots have gotten over it. Man up, Anderson." With that, Gavin turned to leave, but Hank side-stepped to block his path.</p><p>"Today, Nines walked up to Connor's desk to ask him a question. Perfectly within earshot of me and whatever poor soul was nearby. And you know what he asked?" Hank's voice had lowered a bit, but his glare was working overtime.</p><p>Whatever. Gavin raised his chin and glared back. "Please," he sneered, "Enlighten me. What horrors did I unleash upon your world?"</p><p>Hank's grip on his mug tightened as he leaned closer to hiss in Gavin's face. "He asked, in that monotone Cyberlife voice of his, what turned Connor on."</p><p>Gavin blinked. "He- he- what?" He stammered. He had not been expecting that.</p><p>Hank's eye twitched. "He asked," He repeated slowly, enunciating each syllable, "What. Turned. Connor. On."</p><p>He was no android, but Gavin felt like his brain had short-circuited nonetheless. "I... uh... what? Why?"</p><p>Coffee sloshed over the side of the mug as Hank threw his hands up in frustration and stepped back simultaneously. "I don't fucking know! It was completely out of the blue! And then Connor asked whether he was referring to the colloquialism, and when Nines said yes, Connor said that he'd never felt sexually aroused!"</p><p>"Uh... okay... so wh–"</p><p>"Listen, you greasy rat," Hank snarled, jabbing his pointer finger into Gavin's chest. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to hear them talk about that kind of shit in front of me. Tell them–" another jab to his chest– "that you were kidding about the whole thing and that they can go back to usual."</p><p>That snapped Gavin out of his state of shock. "Hell fuckin' no!" He swatted the Lieutenant's hand away. "Their telepathy shit is weird and I don't want those toasters scheming a mass murder or some shit right under my nose." Gavin knew that was a little extreme, but he was on a roll, so he continued, "Bet you didn't even know they were chummy with each other before I stepped in. I mean, seriously, it was kind of unprofessional of them."</p><p>"Unprofessional?" Hank snorted. "That's rich, coming from you. And yes, I knew they were friends this whole time. Whenever we're on cases, Connor's all 'Nines this' and 'Nines that.' Always making weird references to Nines' cold cases. And whenever I'm with Nines, he's the exact same. They're always inviting me to walks in the park and shit with the two of them. I'd have to be fucking Helen Keller not to know about those two."</p><p>Just how close were Connor and Nines? Call it FOMO, but Gavin was also a little annoyed that he was never invited to walks in the park with Nines. He hadn't even considered that the RK900 might have a social life outside of work. He'd always just assumed that Nines went to work, went home, and waited for the day to end so that he could go back to work again.</p><p>"Yeah, well, not all of us can adopt android babies and suddenly become fluent in android." It was a lame comeback, but Gavin was too caught off guard to think of something better.</p><p>"Careful, Reed, you're sounding a little jealous there," Hank mocked. "What? Does it rub you the wrong way that you're not Nines' only friend?"</p><p>"No!" Gavin snapped, a little too quickly, a little too defensively. "We're not even fucking friends. He's just the guy that sits across from me at work." Suddenly, Gavin realized that a triumphant smirk had crept onto the Lieutenant's face. It made his blood boil. "Fuck this. I don't have to explain shit to you."</p><p>"Well, next time the guy that sits across from you at work has a question about the birds and the bees, I'm sending him your way," Hank said, taking a calm sip from his mug, the smirk still planted on his lips.</p><p>Gavin promptly jolted forward, purposely knocking shoulders with Anderson as he passed. He sent the man a middle finger over his head as he left the break room.</p><p>When he sank back into his chair, Nines eyed his tense posture in confusion.</p><p>"What did Lieutenant Anderson speak to you about?" The android inquired.</p><p>"None of your business," Gavin snapped. He kept his eyes glued on the terminal screen, willing himself to get back to work. He felt Nines stare at him a little longer, then the RK900 returned to his own work.</p><p>His traitorous mind wouldn't let him focus. Gavin's thoughts kept circling back to his conversation with Hank– back to the realization that Nines actually did stuff when Gavin wasn't around. Knowing that he wasn't in a working mindset, Gavin resigned himself from his facade of focus and leaned back into his chair, resting his chin on his hand while the other drummed against the desk. He gave into his distractions and let his thoughts whirl.</p><p>So maybe he was jealous. But what was he jealous of? The fact that the three stooges hang out outside of work without him? He didn't care what Anderson and the plastic prick did in their free time. His stomach did a flip, though, when he imagined Nines with them, enjoying himself without the banter Gavin provided. Did Nines make Connor laugh the way he made Gavin laugh? Did Nines make coffee for Hank when Gavin wasn't around to tease him for it?</p><p>Fuck it all. He really was jealous.</p><p>"Hey, Robocop," Gavin called, before he even knew what he was doing.</p><p>Nines pulled away from the terminal and tilted his head at Gavin expectantly. "Yes, Detective?"</p><p>"How come we never, like, hang out when we're not at work?" Gavin was letting his mouth do all the work, the words tumbling off his lips before his mind can catch up to them.</p><p>Yellow blared at the android's temple. "I don't understand your question."</p><p>Was he really going to make Gavin repeat it? "Anderson said that you and him and Connor go for walks and shit together. Just wondering why you never ask me to tag along. Am I so handsome and funny and charismatic that you get enough of me at work?" He had been trying for a teasing tone, but it came off all wrong. He sounded hurt. Wounded, betrayed, like a dog who had just been smacked with a newspaper. Embarrassment burned at his cheeks, which just made him feel even more embarrassed.</p><p>"I..." Nines started, his LED spinning incessant gold, "...didn't think you'd like to... 'hang out.'" He spoke slowly, like he was carefully choosing every word. Gavin imagined that there was probably no protocol for this situation in the android's limited social programming. "You don't like Connor. Or Lieutenant Anderson. Or me, sometimes. I spend most of my free time with them. I thought you preferred to limit your interactions with us as much as possible."</p><p>"Well, I mean, I can, like, work on it," Gavin mumbled, averting his gaze. "I'm not as socially inept as you think."</p><p>"I don't think you're socially inept," the RK900 replied. His LED flashed back to blue, a small smile at his lips. "I'd like to hang out with you sometime."</p><p>Gavin's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned indifference. "Yeah, cool, whatever. Just don't make it a pity invite or anything," he huffed.</p><p>"I do nothing with pity."</p><p>"Whatever you say, freak," Gavin muttered, flicking a paperclip at Nines' head, which he caught with ease.</p><p>Gavin went back to work. And if his heart was still racing as he pretended to read case files, well, at least no one would know. Except the guy sitting across from him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Markus and North visit the DPD. Gavin has a good time for about 10 seconds.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> FEBRUARY 12, 2039 </strong>
</p><p>"Nines! Nines!" Connor's voice carried across the precinct as he tore himself from his seat and basically sprinted towards the RK900's desk.</p><p>"Christ, Connor, slow down," Hank chided, although there was no real force behind his words.</p><p>Nines pulled away from the terminal and twisted his chair to face the approaching android. "Yes?"</p><p>Gavin knew robots didn't need to breathe. But Connor, for some reason, was panting, eyes wide, grin splitting his face, like some excited little kid about to tell some good news. "Markus is visiting. Today. He wants to report a missing android."</p><p>Nines blinked, his LED circling a deep yellow. "Markus...? Here...?"</p><p>"Yes, here!" Connor was nearly shaking with excitement.</p><p>"Oh, great. Another tin-can to add to the collection," Gavin mumbled to his computer. A silence fell over the two androids, and Gavin looked up, only to be met with duplicate glares. Sometimes, the two RKs looked so similar that Gavin had to do a double-take to discern who is who.</p><p>"What?!" He snapped at them.</p><p>"You can't talk like that in front of Markus," Nines said in a low tone. "Connor and I know that you are harmless, but he will surely come to a very different conclusion."</p><p>Harmless? The fuck?</p><p>"Also," Connor cut in, "He is the leader of thousands of deviants, most of whom are wary of law enforcement. We cannot leave him with a bad impression of the DPD. Otherwise, he and his followers will never trust us."</p><p>"I thought you and Markus were all buddy-buddy after the revolution. I mean, it definitely looked that way from the angle of the helicopter footage," Gavin said. He remembered watching the news that night, and seeing Connor on the same stage as Markus after the President told the FBI to stand down. Markus was delivering a very eloquent speech, but Gavin had found himself scanning the crowd of androids instead, searching for familiar ice gray eyes.</p><p>"We are on good terms, but I would not consider us 'buddies,'" Connor clarified. "Jericho had trouble accepting me after they found out that I was the deviant hunter. But I am working to regain their trust."</p><p>Gavin couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the guy. It must hurt, knowing the people you fight for don't even have faith in you.</p><p>"How 'bout you, Nines? No playdates at Jericho recently?" Gavin asked, shifting his attention to the android who had gone dead quiet.</p><p>"I have no interest in the deviants' activism. I would be of no help to them, so I keep my distance," He replied in a clipped tone.</p><p>"Aw, come on! Don't you want to, like, plug your USB into an android other than Connor for once? This might be your chance to get a pretty android's serial number," Gavin teased.</p><p>Connor grimaced. "Please, Detective Reed, refrain from using such crude language when Markus arrives. I cannot stress enough the importance of this visit. I must inform Captain Fowler and the other officers as well." He paused, his eyes flickering between Nines and Gavin. "Just... be on your best behavior. Both of you."</p><p>Gavin scowled at being chastised like he was a third grader. In a defiant show of maturity, he flipped off Connor's back.</p><p>–</p><p>When Markus and his android girlfriend finally graced the precinct with his presence, there was far less fanfare than Gavin imagined. From the way Connor was talking, he expected every android on the police force to worship the ground he walked on. Instead, the androids passed with polite greetings, whereas the <em> humans </em> asked for selfies and autographs. Gavin couldn't resist rolling his eyes when he spotted Officer Miller vigorously shaking Markus' hand with an awestruck look on his face.</p><p>Gavin had to admit, he was doubting whether the two were even androids at all. They walked with a fluidity and grace that the detective androids completely lacked. Gavin liked to joke about the stick up Connor's ass that forced him to walk so stiffly, but that joke clearly would not work on these deviants. And the girl android's– what was her name? West?– eyes kept roving over the precinct, gaze flickering from face to face. She looked on edge, whereas Markus looked entirely comfortable, smiling and waving at whoever he made eye contact with.</p><p>Connor and Hank intercepted the two androids at the door. As soon as Markus and Connor got within arms length, they reached out to shake hands. Gavin shuddered a bit when he saw the skin peel away to reveal the smooth white interior. After Connor did the same with Markus' girlfriend, he led them back to his desk so that he and Hank could take their statement.</p><p>It was difficult not to eavesdrop. They were the center of attention at the office, and everyone was trying to get the inside scoop. Gavin reluctantly picked up bits and pieces of their conversation:</p><p>"–spare parts in Cyberlife facilities–"</p><p>"–security at Jericho–"</p><p>"–travel alone–"</p><p>"–anti-android protest–"</p><p>"–Detroit safehouses–"</p><p>Gavin groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. It was frustrating, trying to eavesdrop while also making it look like he was working. "Hey, Robocop," he whispered, leaning forward, "Are you getting any of that?"</p><p>Nines glanced up from his terminal. He hadn't reacted at all when Markus and West arrived. Not a single muscle twitched. If Gavin didn't know any better, he'd assume that Nines was trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. Which was pretty much hopeless, given the guy was like 6'3" and was the only one in the building wearing a stark white jacket.</p><p>"Yes," he answered slowly, "I am not processing their conversation at the moment, but my auditory sensors are constantly recording." He must have noticed Gavin's hopeful expression, because he continued, "However, I will isolate and delete that portion of the recording. They are having a discussion about a serious matter, Detective, and I'd rather respect their privacy."</p><p>Gavin could feel his face burning up in anger. The condescending tone grated on his nerves. He was about to unleash an avalanche of bottled-up emotions on Nines, when approaching footsteps caught his attention instead.</p><p>He swiveled his chair and came face-to-face with three of the most famous robots in Detroit– Connor, Markus, and... uh, West? Thankfully, their attention wasn't directed at him. All eyes were on Nines, who had stood up to face the group head-on. Markus and North stood directly in front of the RK900, with Connor to the side, like a referee. Gavin could tell the entire precinct was watching with baited breath, probably waiting for Gavin to fuck up and open his big dumb mouth.</p><p>"Markus, North–" North! That's what her name was! "–meet my brother, Nines."</p><p>The dramatic reveal of the android's name was quickly overshadowed by that one word. Brother. What the hell? Since when had the two robots decided to upgrade from friends to family?</p><p>"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nines," Markus greeted warmly, extending a white hand which seemed to glisten under the light.</p><p>Nines' eyes rested briefly on Markus' hand, then traveled back up to his face. "Likewise. I've heard many good things about you, from both Connor and the news."</p><p>Connor looked like he was having a mini stroke. His eye kept twitching as he stared at Markus' outstretched hand, which Nines had promptly ignored.</p><p>North apparently sensed the awkwardness as well. As Markus slowly lowered his hand back to his side, she smiled and extended her own hand in offering. "Nice to meet you."</p><p>"It's an honor to meet you, North. I admire your loyalty to the android revolution," Nines said. Again, he opted out of the handshake.</p><p>"Thank you. Do you want to interface?" North asked bluntly, smile wavering.</p><p>"I'd prefer not."</p><p>Now Connor looked like he was going to pass out. His hands started fidgeting against his leg, and Gavin swore his face was a shade or two paler. He shot Nines a motherly "Be polite!" glare. It was fierce but Nines remained uncowed.</p><p>"It would help us understand each other better," Markus explained patiently, "I don't know how many deviants you encounter daily, but interfacing is a very common form of greeting in New Jericho."</p><p>"I understand. I simply do not wish to partake."</p><p>North crossed her arms. Her lips thinned in noticeable disapproval. "People who refuse to interface usually have something to hide. Is there anything we should know about, Nines?"</p><p>The RK900 opened his mouth slightly. Before he could answer, Markus held up an open palm placatingly. "Easy, North. It's alright, we can't force him into anything." He smiled at Nines. "That's the beauty of free will."</p><p>Nines looked away. "I am still learning all the intricacies of being able to say no. Sometimes the consequences are unpredictable. However, having the option is preferable to the alternative."</p><p>Markus nodded encouragingly. "I agree. I'm glad you are adapting to these new changes, Nines. If you ever need help, feel free to come by Jericho. You and your brother are doing great work for the android movement. We'd love to show you around and introduce you to the community."</p><p>"Yeah," North agreed, "Just don't come wearing whatever that is." She gestured vaguely to Nines' entire upper body as her face twisted in disgust.</p><p>"Wearing what?" Nines asked. He looked down at himself, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to determine what part of his outfit was upsetting North. For fucks sake, even Gavin knew what was wrong with this picture. He hadn't thought too much about it before, but now it was glaringly obvious.</p><p>"Your jacket, dipshit," He muttered.</p><p>Markus leveled a scrutinizing gaze at him. In that moment, he looked very much like the leader of a revolution– the kind of guy you'd see on TV, with his chin held high and the air of a war-battered soldier. But luckily for Gavin, Markus made no comment about his harsh language.</p><p>"My jacket," Nines said, more as a statement than a question.</p><p>Connor pulled out his coin and started rolling it across his knuckles. It was annoyingly human.</p><p>"I think, more specifically," Markus said slowly, "North is pointing out the design of your jacket. You have Cyberlife's logo displayed across your back and your model number is emblazoned on the front."</p><p>"They're the only clothes I have. I don't see the need to replace them unless they get damaged somehow," Nines responded. Gavin could tell that the RK900 was getting a tad defensive. He highlighted and triple underlined "fashion" on his mental list of insults for Nines.</p><p>"You don't see why it's a problem to be a walking billboard for the company who enslaved and oppressed our people for years?" North snapped, her voice rising. Gavin frowned at the android's aggressive tone. It wasn't like Nines wore it with that intention.</p><p>Nines' LED spun yellow, but he said nothing in his defense. When Connor realized that Nines was probably not going to answer, he rushed to salvage what was left of the conversation.</p><p>"Yes, you make a good point North. I'll help Nines dress more appropriately from now on. We'll make a fun shopping trip out of it." Connor flashed a nervous smile at the RK900, who only nodded in reply.</p><p>Markus, North, and Connor suddenly were matching flashing yellow LEDs. They exchanged glances between each other, but were otherwise stone-faced.</p><p>Creepy motherfuckers.</p><p>It was so obvious that the three androids were silently communicating, that Gavin wondered how he could have missed it before, between Nines and Connor. Nines' eyes narrowed slightly at the silent conversation.</p><p>After a few seconds, Markus' light returned to blue and he looked at Nines again. "Well, it was nice to meet you. North and I have some errands to run before heading back to Jericho. We hope to see you and Connor again soon."</p><p>North nodded at Nines, and then she and Markus turned and walked away in unison. Connor scowled at Nines, then hurried to fall in line with the two Jericho leaders as they made their way to the door.</p><p>Gavin tapped his finger against the desk awkwardly. He didn't even know which part of that shitshow to address first.</p><p>"...I now see why you are so opposed to wireless communication," Nines said flatly.</p><p>Guess they were starting with that part.</p><p>"Yeah, creepy, right? I mean, they could've been saying anything about you."</p><p>Nines' eyes went lank as he probably started pre-constructing Connor, Markus, and North's conversation. Shit. Nothing worse than an overthinking android.</p><p>"But," he continued hurriedly, "at least Connor and Markus were on your side. I'm sure they didn't say anything too bad." Nice. Recovery: +100.</p><p>"Connor will most likely scold me later for my impolite manner."</p><p>"Psh, who gives a fuck what Connor thinks? You're not obligated to do a single fuckin' thing. If you don't want to trade memory chips or whatever, you're entitled to that. Android empowerment, am I right?" Gavin grinned hopefully up at the RK900. He didn't know why he was even trying to reassure an android. He was probably just going to brush it off like nothing anyway. Gavin had seen the guy stare down hordes of violent anti-android protestors and stay unfazed throughout it all.</p><p>Nines eyed him suspiciously. "This is an uncharacteristic stance for you," he stated.</p><p>"Well, I'm tryna be fuckin' nice for once," Gavin snapped. Couldn't the stupid robot see he was making an effort?</p><p>A long staring contest ensued between the two detectives. Finally, Nines spoke. "I appreciate the attempt," he said.</p><p>"'I appreciate the attempt,'" Gavin mocked, his nose scrunched up as he repeated the android's words in a bitterly high voice. "You know what I would appreciate? If you got me a bagel from the break room."</p><p>Nines turned his gaze to Gavin's lower half. "Your legs seem functional to me. Although, when you walk, you do shift slightly more weight on your left ankle, so I would recommend keeping an eye on that in case it develops into something more serious."</p><p>Smartass.</p><p>"A simple 'no' would've sufficed."</p><p>"I thought I wasn't obligated to do a single fuckin' thing?" Nines asked innocently, tilting his head.</p><p>Gavin snorted in amusement at the android's cursing. "Alright, alright. I get it, you like being a bitch. I'll be back in a sec." Gavin pushed himself up and headed towards the break room.</p><p>When he got there, there were several officers standing around a table, gossiping while they sipped their hot coffees. Gavin ignored them all and went straight to the snack shelf. As he shifted through the baked goods, he picked up on the conversation involuntarily.</p><p>"–all smiles and handshakes today, but just watch, they'll be looting and rioting and firing at us as soon as they get the chance."</p><p>A chorus of agreements rose from the small crowd.</p><p>Gavin didn't have to turn around to know who was talking. Detective Cronin's grating voice and sour tone was an infamous DPD staple. Cronin was a middle aged guy, with graying hair and a rounded belly. He was someone who always had something to complain about. And now, apparently, he was complaining about Markus and North's drop-in.</p><p>"I don't know, they seemed pretty nice to me. I liked North, she has major BDE."</p><p>And that was Officer Chen. Always seeing the good in people. Even Gavin, which explained why she was one of the only people on the force who could tolerate him.</p><p>"When the androids storm the station with assault rifles, I'll tell them you said that," Cronin said sarcastically, gaining laughs from the other officers. "Also, did you hear what Connor said earlier? Those two plastic barbie dolls are brothers now, I guess. Like a fuckin' android would know anything about family. The closest they'll ever get to family is a charging port."</p><p>Another round of chuckles.</p><p>Spikes of anger sprung through Gavin's chest. Is that how he sounded when he teased Nines? It wasn't so funny hearing someone else do it. Without thinking, Gavin muttered, "Says the guy with three ex-wives."</p><p>He had meant for that to be under his breath, but from the way the laughing paused, he guessed it was louder than expected.</p><p>"What was that, Reed?" Cronin growled.</p><p>Gavin paused, his hand hovering over his bagel. He could go about this calmly. Defuse the situation, leave the room, sit down at his desk quietly, and pretend it never happened. That's probably what Nines and Connor would do.</p><p>Fuck it, someone had to defend those two idiots. It might as well be him.</p><p>Hand tightening around the bagel, Gavin turned and rolled his eyes at Detective Cronin. "I said," he repeated, "Says the guy with three ex-wives."</p><p>"Who the fuck do you think you are? Some kinda white knight?"</p><p>Gavin shrugged and leaned back against the counter. "I'm just calling it like I see it."</p><p>"Don't act all high and mighty. Four months ago, you'd be standing right here, saying the same exact shit. Pretty sure you still call androids 'toasters' on a daily basis. You're a goddamn hypocrite." The man's face was flushed and his hand was clamped tightly around his coffee cup. Evidently, he wasn't used to getting backlash.</p><p>"I'm not the one preaching about family while dodging child support payments," Gavin shot back. It definitely felt good to be an asshole to someone who deserved it. He'd have to do it more often.</p><p>Detective Cronin's eyes bulged. "Shut the fuck up!" He barked, loud enough that the officers next to him jumped. "You know, I used to have respect for you and Hank. Now that you're both getting sucked off by those robots, you've turned into fucking pussies."</p><p>Gavin clenched his fists, squishing his bagel in the process. He moved forward, fully intent on breaking the douchebag's nose, when Tina jumped in front of him.</p><p>"Woah, woah, woah, guys, chill out," Tina interrupted, hands spread placatingly. "Gavin, walk away."</p><p>"But–"</p><p>"Walk. Away," She instructed firmly, already pushing against his chest towards the exit. He complied, shooting Cronin a withering glare over his shoulder as he let the smaller woman spin him around and drag him out of the room.</p><p>She pulled him by the arm until they were alone in a nearby hallway.</p><p>"Tina, that guy's a dickhead. What he said about Nines and Connor... that was like, fucked up," Gavin hissed.</p><p>"I know. I'm glad you stepped in when you did. It was nice of you."</p><p>"...Nice?" Gavin asked incredulously. "Since when am I nice?"</p><p>Tina tapped her chin in fake thought. "Oh, I don't know. Probably dates back to November, when you finally got a desk mate who didn't hate your guts."</p><p>"Nines?" Gavin asked dumbly.</p><p>"Yes, Nines, obviously. He's rubbing off on you."</p><p>"Nines isn't very nice either. There's nothing to rub off."</p><p>Tina laughed, "Then maybe it's some PEMDAS thing. Y'know, like you cancel each other's, uh, meanness out."</p><p>"Fuck off," He spat. He wasn't a "nice guy." You don't rise to the top by being a "nice guy." Detachedness and ambition got Gavin where he was.</p><p>Tina patted him sympathetically on the shoulder as she moved to leave. "Your secret's safe with me."</p><p>Gavin watched her go, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of it all. He decided to take a quick lap around the station to calm himself down, as he was still tense from his argument with Cronin.</p><p>His musings came to an abrupt halt outside the interrogation room. Gavin collided with someone's massive chest, his stumbling only stopped by a firm hand on his elbow to steady him. Without even looking up at who it was, Gavin snarled, "Move, asshole."</p><p>"Apologies, Detective Reed. However, I feel it's important to inform you that I was standing still for 1.3 seconds before you rounded that corner. Perhaps you should be more aware of your surroundings."</p><p>The air was suddenly sucked out of the detective's lungs. His eyes snapped up and were met with stone-gray synthetic ones.</p><p>"I– Nines! What the hell are you doing, just standing around?"</p><p>"I am about to question a witness to my current case. I am calculating the best dialogue options to elicit a thorough report of the incident." Nines tilted his head slightly and eyed Gavin up and down. Gavin shifted under the android's analytical gaze. "You are stressed."</p><p>"No shit," he mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.</p><p>"Would you like to talk about it?"</p><p>Gavin raised an eyebrow. "What, did your dialogue options tell you to ask that?" He sneered. It was unnecessarily cruel, but Gavin didn't care. He wasn't a nice guy and he didn't want to be known as one.</p><p>Nines frowned. "I wanted to ask because you are in distress, and talking can lower stress levels by up to 78%."</p><p>"Not everything needs to be a fucking equation. Leave me alone and do the goddamn job you were programmed for," Gavin growled, swerving around the RK900 and leaving the confused android in his wake.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>final chapter coming up soon! let me know how you feelin :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. end</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gavin makes amends. Nines stays sassy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>About an hour after Gavin's run-in with Nines, he was back at his desk, diligently examining some poor bastard's autopsy. He was wondering how long it would take a man of 238 pounds to die of food poisoning when a seran-wrapped bagel slid across his desk, stopping right next to his keyboard.</p><p>He blinked at the gift and looked up to find its deliverer. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that it was Nines.</p><p>At Gavin's empty expression, the android explained, "I noticed that the bagel you had earlier met an unfortunate demise."</p><p>Gavin's gaze floated to the trash can beside his desk. The crushed, crumbling, corpse of his previous bagel rested peacefully among a heap of candy wrappers and crumpled papers.</p><p>"Uh, thanks. Didn't realize I was squeezing the life out of it until it was too late."</p><p>Nines nodded in understanding, then took his seat without another word.</p><p>Gavin stared at the seran-wrapped bagel. The bagel stared back. Gavin rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling embarrassed for some reason.</p><p>"So... how did your interrogation go?" He asked absently.</p><p>Nines didn't look away from his terminal. "It went well. I have a lead now."</p><p>"Oh, good, good," Gavin hummed. Why was it so awkward? Was it usually this awkward? He started to unwrap the pastry, desperate to do something with his hands. "Nothing beats a plain bagel, y'know? People act like you always need to add cream cheese or toppings or something to give it flavor, but really, it's fine the way it is."</p><p>Finally, Nines pulled away from the screen and faced Gavin. "I understand that humans are unpredictable, but your behavior is far more taxing on my processors than any of our other coworkers."</p><p>Gavin opened his mouth to ask just what the hell that meant, but the android plowed on.</p><p>"One hour and 13 minutes ago, you told me to leave you alone and do my job. Now you try to distract me from my job with conversation. You call me and Connor plastic, and tin cans, and robots, yet you ask to spend more time with us.</p><p>"You are a contradiction which I cannot grasp. It is disconcerting, to be unable to pre-construct your next move. And just when I think I have adapted to you, you catch me off guard again. What must I do differently, Detective Reed?"</p><p>Needless to say, Gavin was floored by Nines' rant. Exasperation colored his tone, and Gavin noticed a flicker of red reflect off the terminal screen.</p><p>He had to choose his next words carefully. Very carefully.</p><p>"I don't know." Gavin mentally berated himself for his lack of grace. "Fuck, I don't know, Nines! It's not–it's–" He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "You're not the problem, okay? It's just... the way I am. And I'm sorry, like actually sorry, I can't be better, 'cause you deserve better. Not that we're dating or something. But yeah, you deserve better than my mood swings and sarcasm and shit personality." He paused, then laughed nervously, "I guess one day I played bad cop and never got out of character."</p><p>Nines said nothing. There was no indication on his face whether he was pleased or pissed off by Gavin's answer.</p><p>Gavin sighed after a couple seconds, accepting that Nines probably was not going to continue the conversation. He was surprised, however, when the android said, softly, "It is difficult to imagine a workplace without you, the way that you are. I would not want you to change on my account."</p><p>A smile tugged at Gavin's lips. "Yeah, same to you." Gavin's lungs ached with the words he wanted to say, the emotions he wanted to spill. "The world is just a shit place, y'know? So I just learned to treat the world the way it treated me." If anyone could understand that, it was Nines.</p><p>"This is a great moment of introspection for you, Detective. Perhaps I should be the therapist instead of you." A grin– which Cyberlife could definitely not have programmed to be so cheeky– slowly spread across the android's face.</p><p>Every ounce of tension drained out of Gavin's body. "Yeah," he laughed, "maybe you should." After a beat, Gavin added, "So we're good?"</p><p>"We're good."</p><p>
  <strong>FEBRUARY 14, 2039</strong>
</p><p>Gavin's head was bowed over his phone, as he snickered at an uncharacteristically vulgar text from Tina. She was telling a horror story about last year's Valentine's day, when her friend set her up on a date with a ventriloquist. Needless to say, it went poorly. Very poorly.</p><p>A shadow crossed across Gavin's desk. He quickly shut his phone off and flipped it screen-down on the table. When he looked up, he was expecting to see Fowler ready to chew his ass out for "wasting so much goddamn time on taxpayer's money." Instead, Nines was towering over him.</p><p>"You are texting Officer Chen," Nines said flatly.</p><p>"How the hell did you know that?"</p><p>"She is also texting on her phone, and she smiles at the same time you do. You two also made eye contact three times within the last five minutes. It doesn't take state-of-the-art investigative software to put two and two together."</p><p>Gavin rolled his eyes and picked his phone back up, sensing no threat. "Okay, whatever, you busted me. Why do you care so much? Gonna rat me out to Fowler?"</p><p>Nines shifted his hands behind his back. "No. But you are having a non-verbal conversation with a coworker right in front of me. I've heard that's unprofessional and creepy."</p><p>Gavin blinked, realizing his own words were being used against him. "Are you serious, Nines?"</p><p>"No. I'm joking." He smirked a little. "Can't you tell?"</p><p>Someone honestly had to teach androids how to tell a good joke. Because that wasn't funny at all. Nope, Gavin was 100% Not Amused. He quirked an eyebrow at Nines, jaw clenched tightly to prevent any unwanted giggles from escaping.</p><p>"Anyway," Nines continued, "I wanted to ask you a question."</p><p>"What kind of question?" Gavin asked in suspicion. Unlike Connor, Nines usually didn't bother prefacing his "personal questions" with a request for permission.</p><p>Nines shifted on his feet, his eyes flitting to a spot over the detective's shoulder. "Today is a holiday, as you know, and Lieutenant Anderson would like to spend it at Jimmy's Bar after work. Connor will be accompanying him to make sure the Lieutenant drinks safely. My brother invited me to come as well, therefore I am inviting you."</p><p>"You wanna... get a drink? On Valentine's Day?" Gavin said as he tried to wrap his head around it. He wondered whether Nines even knew the insinuation of such an invite.</p><p>"Yes. Unless you have other plans, of course. I'm aware of the tradition of celebrating this day with a lover," Nines clarified. Somehow, the android seemed unsure– almost insecure. Like he was scared of what Gavin would say next.</p><p>Maybe he knew exactly what the invite would insinuate.</p><p>"No, no, I'm, ah, totally free," Gavin responded, eyes wide.</p><p>Nines smiled, and it was a full, genuine, ear-to-ear smile normally reserved for Connor and Hank. It was enough to make Gavin's heart flutter in his chest.</p><p>Detective Gavin Reed was not a nice guy. But for once, he wanted to try.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>okay well I guess this is the end! hope you all enjoyed the journey!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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